. >> chris: i'm chris wallace, two big issues today. the fiscal cliff talk stuck in neutral and concerns syria will use chemical weapons against it's own people. with 23 days and more posturing, will the white house cut a deal. we'll talk two senators on the front lines of the debate. democrat charles schumer and republican bob corker. then the u.s. draws a red line telling syrian president assad not to use chemical weapons in that country's civil war. we'll discuss the latest intelligence and fallout with michael oren. a fox news sunday exclusive. plus the supreme court agrees to take up same-sex marriage. we'll ask our sunday panel if the court is likely do decide whether gays have a constitutional right to marry and a final farewell to my best friend winston, all right now on "fox news sunday." hello again from fox news in washington. it's beginning to feel like groundhog day in the talks of the fiscal cliff. both sides dug in, no agreement in sight and we're 23 days from the brink. join us to break down where it stands, two leader senators, charles schumer and bob corker. house speak

of misfortune there on the fiscal cliff. >> i'm worried about it, too. but let's talk about that. how much leverage do the republicans have? we know that the president has leverage because elections matter but what kind of leverage do the republicans have? >> i think the president wants to get this taken care of, not worry about a debt ceiling in the future and the republicans with their effort in that debate and some negotiating room for the republicans. they would like to see serious entitlement reforms or a movement in that direction and a system set up to try to do major tax reform. i think some of that may happen. we are seeing some democrats show some willingness to tinker around with medicare and social security perhaps. >> john, we can't top talking about the cliff negotiation that's all we've been talking about lately and i have something to bring to the table about that. keep rolling up right there. we're stuck between clifs and it makes me think about the great outdoors and pictures boehner between a rock and a hard place. i want to bring back the movie metaphor club w

republican alive who could stop what's going to happen. >> with the fiscal cliff just 22 days away. >> we're down to the final three weeks. >> the president is on the move. >> i'm willing to compromise a little bit. >> president obama on the ground in michigan. >> i will work with republicans. >> delivering a speech at an engine manufacturing plant. >> i'm willing to compromise a little bit. >> i'm willing to compromise a little bit. >> they are ready to make a deal. >> they are ready to make a deal on tax rates. >> republicans know that they have to give on taxes. >> i don't think there's a republican alive who can stop what is happening. >> senator corker has nailed this one. >> the leverage is going to shift. >> you have to have leverage. >> we don't have the leverage. the power isn't there. >> could a secret meeting seal the deal when it come to the fiscal cliff? the white house says it can happen. >> president obama and speaker boehner sit down at the white house. >> their first one on one in three weeks. >> the heavy lifting is going to have to happen this week. >> if this we

disability or what they're saying by the fiscal cliff. we're seeing an important shift in their strategy. i think at the end of the day john boehner is going to decide it makes more sense to pass the senate bill, extending the tax cut to 98% saying to the public at large we're not going to deny you that, but we're not going to pass the debt ceiling increase. on that they'll hang tougher seeking to extract something from the white house. >> i agree with half of that. i think they're going to wait for the debt ceiling crisis that they're going to create with their leverage. but it seems to me that they have more incentive to blame the democrats for rising taxes on everybody, and then come back and pass that middle class tax cut. i think we're going to see the sun setting of the bush tax cuts. i just don't see how the tea partyers essentially can do a preemptive basically pre- preemptive tax cuts before the taxes go back up. >> eliot: charles, do you agree with sam? once the tax cuts have expired maybe they pass the tax cut for 98% but then use their leverage to negotiate the tax cuts entime entitlement cuts. >> i'm not sure that the

senator john kerry about why he calls it the saddest day in his senate career. plus, the fiscal cliff standoff with republican congressman tom cole and former treasury official robert alman. senator maria can'twell tackles the spike on the east coast. "andrea mitchell reports" is up next. how? they work with vmware to provide virtualization and cloud solutions tailored to a company's unique i.t. needs. so, you're my caddy. what solution would you provide for me now? well, you're 30 yards away from the green. you've got a bunker to the left of you and a bunker to the right of you. and remember, this is client golf. tomato, obviously. haha. there's more than that though, there's a kick to it. wahlalalalallala! smooth, but crisp. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food, woooooh! [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable. could've had a v8. [ ding! ] ...and spend time on the slopes. take alka-seltzer plus cold & cough... [ buzz! ] take dayquil. use nyquil d... [ ding! ] ...and get longer nighttime cough relief. use tylenol cold multisymp

there's just over three weeks until our nation potentially tumbles over what we call the fiscal cliff. john boehner says there's been no real progress in the negotiations between the white house and lawmakers on capitol hill. now he's accusing president obama of dragging his feet as the deadline looms. is more of the same in store for the week ahead? joining us, managing edit for of the hill. >> good morning. >> we talk about this happening and going over the cliff. speaker boehner accuses the white house of dragging its feet. >> president obama offered a proposal, republicans didn't like that plan. now the g.o.p. has countered. so the ball is in the white house's court and that's what republicans are basically waiting for. but i don't see -- i don't think you'll see real progress over the next week. we are about two weeks away from christmas. three weeks until we hit the deadline and they're nowhere. what speaker boehner said correct. there's been no progress and there will be nor jockeying and leverage the next week. >> i want to point out in the president's weekly address that was issued yesterd

president obama and house speaker john boehner met a few moments ago, and it was about the fiscal cliff, trying to avoid the cliff. tonight, james rosen looks at what impact the uncertainty over that situation is already having on small businesses. >> at tart lumber, family owned firm of six decades standing, owner cl friche worry that owners will bear the brunt from the politicians fail to avert the so-called fiscal cliff. >> profits from this business flow through my wife and my personal tax return so it's easy to hit $250,000. take a salary and have a little profit. we don't buy boats or second homes. i don't have vacation propert property. it plow it back in the business to create jobs. >> not knowing what the tax rate and deductions will be next year led friche to take a 2 x 4 for his spending for things like computer equipment. >> i have servers that are 7 years old i want to replace but i'm not willing to pull the trigger not knowing what will happen next year. if the fiscal cliff has, we'll go in recession. people will put off improving their home and it will impact my buds. >>

cliff. first, house leaders discuss how continuing negotiations may affect the schedule. in half of an hour, senate leaders comment on the fiscal cliff. after that, house speaker john boehner and minority leader nancy pelosi followed by president obama's comments. the house of representatives has finished their business for the week. they looked ahead to how negotiations on the fiscal cliff might affect the house schedule. this is half an hour. hank the gentleman. i yield to the majority leader. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman, mr. speaker. on monday, no votes are expected in the house. on tuesday the house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. on wednesday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on thursday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. on thursday. members are advised that this is a change from the original house calendar. mr. speaker, the house will consider a number of bills under suspension of the rules, a complete list of which will be announced by the clos

can solve this issue. we need to not go over the fiscal cliff. we need to come to an agreement. and the president, i think, is working hard to get there. and very frankly, i think john boehner wants to get there. the issue is whether john boehner will have the support of a majority of his party, when and if, he gets there with the president. he had an agreement with the president over a year ago. that agreement fell apart, frankly, because he could not get the support of his own party. but it's necessary for us to come to a place where we will be able to adopt a fiscally sustainable, credible path for this country. that will give great confidence to the american people and will be, in my opinion, the single largest stimulus package that we could pass for the economy. >> congressman, let's talk a little bit about john boehner, because the deal he could have gotten last year was for republicans, at least, better. do you sense he could hold together his caucus? we are not getting a lot of readouts in terms of substance, but it sounds, quote, tense up there. >> as you pointed out, there are a lot of republicans, both in the senate and in the house, who have been saying, look, w

will keep us from falling off the fiscal cliff 20 days from now. that's according to a news pal. 51% say president obama and congress will cut a deal to prevent automatic tax hikes and spending cuts. john boehner says he still has serious differences with the president after they exchanged new counteroffers apparently and talked on the phone last night. now some house republicans are vowing to work through the holidays to get the deal done. ed henry is live at the white house. that's a motivator i suppose, lose your christmas. >> normally when there is a holiday like that, you're right. this forces them to come to the table. right now they are still pretty far apart. there was a phone call you last night between the president and the speaker. officials on both sides telling me tonight the call was pretty tense because the bottom line is they are still not finding common ground. you listen to the speaker today, jay carney from the white house podium, they're still saying that they're farther apart on both spending cuts and tax increases. take a listen. >> mainly tax hikes. and as planned is it not begin to solve our debt crisis. it actually increases spending. >> closing loopholes that they wil

speaker john boehner get together a little more than three weeks before we hit the fiscal cliff. >> gone too soon. a mexican-american singing superstar killed as a small plane plunges into a mountain range. >> just devastated for them. i'm really feeling for them. >> raw and emotional. two radio hosts talk about the family of the nurse who took her own life after getting duped by their prank call. >>> good morning, to you. welcome to "early start." welcome back, mr. berman. >> it is great to be here. i was on vacation for a week. now i'm back. i'm john berman. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. i am feeling that. but this, they are talking for the first time in over three weeks. president obama and house speaker john boehner looked each other in the eye and actually had a conversation. now that's a really big deal when it comes to the fiscal cliff crisis. because in just 22 days americans face severe tax hikes and spending cuts unless these two leaders can find a way to compromise. now neither side would discuss specifics about their conversation. but after yesterday's white house mee

john boehner finally meeting face-to-face over the fiscal cliff. they sat down at the white house yesterday. neither side is discussing details. both agree the lines of communication remain open. massive tax hikes and spending cuts take hold in 22 days if the two leaders can't work out a deal. >> a busy day sunday at seattle city hall. 133 same-sex couples tied the knot. sarah and emily cover were among the first couples to get married. the same-sex couples married sunday in seattle were among the first to pick up their marriage licenses last thursday. the state required a three-day waiting period before ceremonies. >>> european union leaders are in oslo to receive the nobel peace prize. hundreds of protesters have been braving oslo's snow. the prize was meant to honor contributions to disarmament and eu member states account for a third of global arms exports. >> thanks, christine. >>> it is now 15 minutes after the hour. time for "early read," your local newsmaking national headlines. a big medical story in the "philadelphia enquirer." it's in a lot of papers this morning. very

boehner packing his parachute to jump off the fiscal cliff or will he figure it out? it's thursday, december 13th, and this is "now." i'm joy reid filling in for the lovely alex wagner. msnbc political analyst and editor at large at salon.com and also my pal joan walsh politico senior political editor maggie haberman and time assistant managing editor rona. with christmas less than two weeks away it's seeming more likely that america will see santa claus before it sees a deal on the fiscal cliff. the house majority and minority leaders issued a clear message today and yesterday don't book your plane tickets. >> we don't know if we would be home for the rest of hanukkah or christmas. let's really get real about this if we're going to have a solution, and let's stay here and sit at that table. >> we've said we're committed to staying here. we're going to stay here right up until christmas eve throughout the time and period before the new year. >> there are no talks scheduled today between the president and house speaker boehner. meanwhile, fed chairman ben bernanke, the man who coine

this. house speaker john boehner and the latest update on negotiations or lack thereof on the fiscal cliff. let's go to this right now. moments ago on the hill. hear is the speaker. >> morning, everyone. this week we made a good faith offer to avert the fiscal crisis and, that offer included significant spending cuts and reforms, and it included additional revenue and frankly it was the balanced approach that the president's been asking for. now we need a response from the white house. we can't sit here and negotiate with ourselves. our targets and framework are things that we can all agree on. and it's exactly how we approached our discussions in the biden group. my discussions at the white house a year and a half ago. and for that matter, in the joint select commit teach. and if the president doesn't agree with our proposal and our outline i think he has an obligation to send one to the congress and a plan that can pass both chambers of commerce. if you looked at the plans the white house talked about thus far, they couldn't pass either house of the congress. we're ready and eager

- called fiscal cliff, president obama and house speaker john boehner met today. >> they said the lines of communication remain open. this comes after the head of the international my terry fund got tough on at the sunday talk shows. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> a quick fix is not the answer for resolving the fiscal crisis, said the director of the international monetary fund. a more comprehensive solution is needed. christine the guard says any deal between president obama and congressional republicans must do more than simply avoid the fiscal cliff to get america pause economy growing again. >> there is still the degree of uncertainty. investors, entrepreneurs households, are not making decisions because they do not know what tomorrow will be. >> but washington's top republican leader, house speaker john boehner, complains there has been no progress in avoiding even immediate crisis. >> when it comes to the fiscal cliff disrupting our economy and threaten jobs, the white house has wasted another week. >> democrats shona signs of backing of

take a major hit if, in fact, the nation goes off the so-called fiscal cliff. his spokesman jay carney was even tougher in going after speaker john boehner's latest proposal in saying it simply doesn't add up. >> we don't know who pays. we don't know what we're talking about in terms of actual legislation to increase revenues. it's magic beans and fairy dust. >> the bottom line is the president and speaker boehner have not spoken now in several days. so there is really no signs of progress. there has been some discussion that look that's just happening in public. behind closed doors maybe they are gaining some ground, i have spoken to some top white house officials tonight some top republicans on the hill they say in private they are not making progress either, shep. >> shepard: republicans say they have offered some compromises. >> they have in the sense that speaker boehner with his policy late yesterday put $100 billion in new tax revenue on the table. that was a concession by him but not far enough as you noted for the white house because the white house wants him to not just raise tax revenue by limiting intuctions and loopholes and t

fiscal cliff is concerned, the democrats and republicans need to come together and they need to do that rather quickly, because that's the way i feel about it. host: do you think it decides it should just agree to pass the tax cuts -- extend the tax cuts for middle-class americans and then wait until later to resume the debate over spending and tax cuts for wealthy americans? caller: they should start with that. and if they agree on that, then they can go on to the next thing. but this lagging and dragging along on both sides makes no sense. host: here is the washington post this morning. [video clip] >> i don't think the issue right now has to do with sitting in a room. the issue right now that is relevant is the acknowledgment that if we are going to raise revenues that are sufficient to balance with very tough cuts we have already made and further reforms and entitlements i'm prepared to make, that we are going to have to see the rates on the top to% go up. we are not calling to able to get a deal without it. host: that was the president talking about whether or not he has sat d

yesterday to discuss the fiscal cliff. the president will visit a diameter eco-plant in redford. and as "the detroit news" reports, the company plans to announce $109 investment in that plan for new technology and expanding their production. you can watch the president's remarks live at about 2:00 eastern over on our companion network, c-span. >> friday, former reagan officials reflected on the 1987 negotiations on a nuclear missile treaty with the soviet union. the intermediate nuclear forces treaty, or inf, led to the destruction of thousands of europe-based nuclear missiles on both sides. speakers here will include former assistant secretary of state richard burt, former u.s. ambassador to the soviet union, jack matlock, and will also there from former assistant secretary of state rozanne ridgway. the american foreign service association posted this hour and 20 minute event. >> i would like to wish all other good morning. one. i'm susan johnson, the president and i would like to extend a very warm welcome to you all. and thank you for coming to this important and special pane

fiscal cliff on unemployment insurance. then a forum on skilled immigrant labor and the american economy. after that, speaker john boehner and representative pelosi on the fiscal cliff negotiations. >> we have had these explosions of knowledge in medicine, but we have not coordinated care and all of the services that we have end up having cracks that they are as harmful as the diseases that we are treating. you need to step back and ask -- are we hurting people overall on a global level? what are we doing sometimes? now we have the institute of medicine report to think. 30% of everything we do may not be necessary in healthcare? 30% of the medications that we describe? the procedures? this is something that is for the first time really being called out as a problem. >> dysfunction in the u.s. healthcare industry. dr. marty makary on his book " unaccountable." on c-span 2. >> it is estimated that it would cost -- [indiscernible] [bells ringing] >> i chose to honor both. the sacrifice of american servicemen fighting their way through the pacific and a little girl who died as a result of an atomic bombing. it is unimaginabl

cliff and we look at john boehner and you're right, he did give up revenue. he said okay. i'm going to cave on that. we'll raise revenue. but the president has been absolutely adamant, i'm not budging unless the top 2% pay a higher rate. not just revenue, a higher rate. >> the top 2% will pay higher taxes because of the revenue rates that we will raise without raising the tax rates. once you raise the tax rates, they become permanent. you can't change them. it will be almost impossible to change them and of course, that affects, like i say, almost a million small businesses and about 700,000 jobs. that's what the american people aren't getting from the debate on this subject. frankly, it is a bait and switch because the president has put out a plan that even democrats won't support that literally will not work, that literal israeli going to cause even more spending than we have right now, and put us even more than the 16 trail, $300 billion debt that we're incurring, going up every day. >> steve: senator, for generations, americans have always tried to make sure that our children, o

fiscal cliff includes speaker john boehner and minority leader nancy pelosi. that is coming up in a little more than 10 minutes. first, though, president obama speaks to members of the business roundtable about the economy. he told the c.e.o.'s that he would not negotiate as a precondition for raising the borrowing limit. because of technical problems, we are only able to show you part of his speech. >> we at the business roundtable are grateful to both the electricity -- for the engagement we have had with you and members of your team. listen, i know your team has really reached out significantly over the last few months to many people in this room. and i know personally from my work in the last three years on the export council that the outreach to us is again you in and we know you are seeking solutions that was outlined very sincerely this morning when we met with jack and the rest of the team. sense of purpose and commitment from us as we engage with you. there aren't a lot of wall flowers in here and eager for a two-way exchange nonetheless and hopefully your takeaway will be

over the fiscal cliff. but the politicians get it. this year, the club for growth spent $10 million against republicans they felt were not conservative enough. in a campaign ultimately that didn't even go the g.o.p.'s way. john? >> carl, thanks. late today three of the four republican lawmakers kicked off with the committees wrote to boehner demanding explanation from him on the close of business on monday. the supreme court will take up two cases dealing with gay marriage next year. it will decide whether gays of v the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals as it rules on california proposition 8. justices will determine if congress under the defense of marriage act can depry legally married gay couples benefits that available to straight husband and wives. we'll have more on that with the panel in a little while. they can carry a tune all the way to the bank. but the top musicians backing up their rants against the 1%ers? that is coming up in the grapevine. up next, what happens if diplomacy fails in syria? begin. tomato, obviously. haha. there's more than that though, there's a kick to it. wahlalalalallala! smooth, but crisp. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food,

. "morning joe" starts right now. >>> our country will be heading over the fiscal cliff that we ourselves dug and put in our way. it's the set of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that can only be averted if our nation's leaders are able to display bear bones competence and middle school-level maturity. so is there a deal? >> there's, of course, no deal. >> of course! is there a prospect for a deal? >> there's not a prospect for a deal. >> of course! but the ongoing talks. >> there aren't even very many talks going on. >> you're killing us! give us something. >> but for the first time, there are numbers on pieces of paper from both sides. >> numbers on paper! >>> good morning. it's wednesday, december 5th. welcome to "morning joe." live in the nation's capital. this is exciting. and you know, i said, let's do a show from washington, d.c., because they get so much stuff done there. it's like silicon valley. and going there when steve jobs was really bringing apple to the forefront -- >> a happening place. >> it is. it's where things happen. that's why we're here, steve rattne

very latest. >>> republicans and democrats continue to battle over how to aavoid this fiscal cliff. many of us and many of you standing behind the president when asked who was handling the crisis better, 49% support president obama and the democrats while only 25% support house speaker john boehner and the republicans. so if there's no deal and the tax hikes and spending cuts take effect, we feel the impact. christine romans sat down with this panel for a report on the bottom line. here's part of the conversation she had with a working mom, small business owner and a woman looking for work. >> i have a household to run. still have rent and bills to pay, and i need help. i need help. >> three kids? >> yeah. >> how old are your kids, 23, 18, and 11. >> what do you tell them when they see the economy in front of them and hear all this fighting in washington about the fiscal cliff. you've been looking for a job for more than six months now. are you more optimistic or less than things will turn around next year? >> i believe it's going to turn around. it will probably take a little time, but i think it will. >> you need the government to help now until that happens? >> yes, i definitely do. >> you just had a baby. congratulations. >> thank you. >> are you concerned about your kid's f

what is happening with the fiscal cliff. we will go to steven sloan from politico. word coming in that president obama and john boehner talked on the phone and later on wednesday. what have we learned if anything about that conversation? caller: very little has leaked out on the conversation. we're not sure how long it lasted. it is a sign that maybe even incremental progress has been made this week. host: can we glean anything from who called who identify this phone conversation? when the last time they talk before wednesday afternoon was? host: it has been about one week since they talked. we do not even know, as far as i know, who called the. they really have given us the details on the call. host: we are talking to steven sloan. what is the latest on the two sites? who seems more willing to compromise at this point? caller: we are still a in this game of chicken. both sides have made their offers. neither side appears at the moment close to making new offers or backpedaling on the offers may have made it. we still are in is still made mode right now. we will have to see whether that changes it. host: an article fr

. stocks are trading lower after comments from house speaker john boehner on the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations. boehner said spending is the issue preventing a deal. on the flipside shares of solar city jumping on the company's nasdaq baidu. -- debut. they had initial backlash that the price is too high. they lowered the price from previous range of 13 to $15. >> catch the 4:00 p.m. hour when liz claman interviews solar city chairman elon musk and lyndon rive. >>> mortgage rates fell last week dropping to near record lows. according to freddie mac, average rate on a 30-year mortgage, 3.32%. that's the latest from the fox business network, giving you the power to prosper. lori: house speaker john boehner today trying to shift the fiscal cliff debate back to, spending. here is what he said earlier today. >> here we are, at the 11th hour and the president still isn't serious about dealing with this issue right here. it's this issue, spending! now you go back, i want to talk about polling, most americans would agree that spending is a much bigger problem than raising taxes. they want

approved referendum into law on wednesday. >>> breaking news. on the fiscal cliff negotiations, president obama, house speaker john boehner, met face to face at the white house today for the first time in more than three weeks. we do not have any details about today's conversations but reps on both sides say the lines of communication remain open. the two men last met on november 16th. also today, another republican senator announced his support for raising tax rates on wealthy americans. tennessee senator bob corker says if the gop agrees to the wealthy tax hike, republicans would be better positioned to negotiate for bigger spending cuts on social security and medicare. >> there is a growing group of folks that are looking at this and realizing that we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue before year-end. a lot of people are putting forth a theory and i think it has merit where you give the president the 2% increase that he's talking about, the rate increase on the top 2%. and all of a sudden, the shift goes back to entitlements. and all of a sudden, once you give him the rate on the top 2%, it's act

compromise in order to avoid going over the fiscal cliff? john boehner's already $800 billion in increased tax revenue, not necessarily raising the marginal tax rate on the wealthy, but capping deductions, limiting loopholes, are you with the speaker of the house on that? >> unfortunately, wolf, the policies of president obama have already taken us over the cliff. if you meet with businesses like i do all the time, they've already paired back plans for next year anticipating what's going to happen. we can fix this christmas eve if we want, but we've already hurt the economy and job growth. >> are you with boehner? >> i'm not with boehner. this government doesn't need anymore money. this country needs less government. we're going to have historic levels of revenue to the government this year. >> everyone's taxes are going up at the end of the year if there's no deal. >> we have already offered to extend current tax rates. that's what we should have done six months ago until we could come to some agreement, some compromise on tax reform. >> when you say compromise, where are you re

john boehner's loudest conservative critics for a fiscal cliff proposal with $800 billion in tax increases. >> republicans should not be conceding that the federal government needs more money, negotiating with ourselves. >> reporter: demint really made a name for himself in recent years as a tea party king maker raising millions to help elect half a dozen like-minded conservatives to the senate. marco rubio, rand paul, johnson and ted cruz. >> i've played a role in stocking the senate with solid conservatives who are younger and brighter and better spokesmen than i am. and so i know i'm leaving the senate better than i found it. >> reporter: but demint also infuriated republican leaders by backing several gop primary candidates who could not win their senate seats. remember christine o'donnell? cnn is told senate republican leader mitch mcconnell was annoyed for backing o'donnell and a couple other losing candidates in 2010 and cost republicans the majority. at the time demint told us he was unapologetic and still is. you're trying to send a message to the gop establishment. >> t

news on the fiscal cliff talks. president obama, house speaker john boehner met face-to-face at the white house today to try to prevent the fiscal cliff now just 23 days away. we don't have any details on their conversations, but reps for both sides say the lines of communication remain open. meanwhile, at least four republican senators now support a tax hike on wealthy americans. here is senator tom coburn of oklahoma. >> the fact is we're spending money that we don't have on things we don't absolutely need, and there's no grown-ups in washington that will say time-out, stop the politics, let's have a compromise rather than continue to play the game through the press and hurt the country. >> more on this story in just a few minutes with our senior political analyst, david gergen. >>> a half million dollars, that's the bond set today by a judge near dallas for cowboys nose tackle josh brent. he was behind the wheel in a car accident this weekend that killed teammate jerry brown, jr. police believe brent was drunk when he flipped his mercedes yesterday morning. >>> we have an update

republicans to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff is more likely if both sides do not try to overreached on spending cuts. "congress and the white house need to agree on a plan for taxes and spending." john boehner and president obama spoke on the phone yesterday, a day after the president offered to reduce his initial demand in higher tax revenue over a decade to $1.4 trillion. speaker boehner countered with another offer. and lawmakers were expressing pessimism that a deal was close leading kevin mccarthy to say, i think it is getting worse and not better. stock futures are higher as investors wait for news on whether the federal reserve will announce a new stimulus plan today. regulators have launched three rounds of quantitative easing since the crisis hit. ben bernanke will be held in news conference and you could hear live right here on c-span radio. those are some of the latest headlines on c-span radio. [video clip] >> the white house was very controversial. l'enfant designed washington city. there was a competition and he submitted the design for a palace. americans were not having a palace. it was not particularly awe- inspiring. in fact, in 1821, a european diplomat told the congress

the way. it seems like quietly we're making progress on the fiscal cliff, people are saying garbage out in public. john boehner sitting down with the president, seems these two men are getting the job done. >> i think it is real. the president, no public events yesterday. even yesterday's event was never designed to be a fiscal cliff photo-op. there are very few fiscal cliff photo-ops planned this week. it is serious business. they have to come to a framework at the end of this week if they're going to get it written in time and passed in time so they all don't have to spend christmas in washington. joe, realize, whatever deal they agree to, it will be very fragile and it's likely to include more triggers for the end of next year. so they'll agree to some tax reform. if they can't write it, then say the highest tax rate will move from 37 to 39. on entitlements, they'll agree they have to find a certain amount of money and special commission but if they don't agree to it maybe the eligibility age goes automatically up. they'll be sort of sequester triggers to force the action so the deal whatever they come to w

communication are open, but time is running out for a resolution to the impending fiscal cliff. president obama and house speaker john boehner met behind closed doors sunday. it was their first face-to-face meeting since november 6, the election day, and now it look like some republicans may be breaking ranks. susan mcginnis is in washington with the latest. hi, susan. good morning to you. >> hi. many on capitol hill are encouraged by the weekend talks, but to get a deal done on time, apparently action this week is said to be critical. and now we have the president heading out on the road again. president obama leaves d.c. today, headed to michigan to talk to auto workers, part of his strategy to generate public support for his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, the tax hikes and spending cuts due to kick in at year end. the president and house speaker john boehner met one on one at the white house on sunday. while no details were leaked, a rarity for washington, we do know the main sticking points remain. raising taxes on high earners and making cuts to entitlement programs like medicare. >> you know, they started their tango

. interesting. fiscal cliff talk. john boehner says he is waiting for a counter offer from the white house. adam: wall street feers gauge barely pausing. our traders, are they not worried about going over the fiscal cliff quirks we are headed to the for the new york stock exchange next. ♪ twins. i didn't see them coming. i have obligations. cute obligations, but obligatio. i need to rethink thecore . what i really need is sleep. introducing the ishares core, building blocks for the heart of your portfo find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, crges and expenses. read and conder it carefully before investing. ri includes possible loss of principal. adam: the state of nevada has gambling up. dollars. slot machines are up a whopping 11%. it is a big-time for casino operators to. they lower the cost of financing their debt. melissa: will get that across the board. this is one of those times -- you were supposed to be my boat party. but you o

and health care benefits until the fiscal cliff crisis is resolved. the petition has gotten more than 11,000 signatures but 25,000 are needed to get a white house response. >>> president obama will have a private swearing in from justice john roberts on sunday, january 20th. the next day will be the official ceremony and the president's inauguration has decided to start accepting corporate and private donations this time to help play for the parade, the balls, all those other events. >>> west virginia senator joe manson upset about a new reality tv show. he has written a letter to mtv demanding it be canceled. some are calling it the "jersey shore" of appalacia. >> y'all want to swim? >> for young, free and wild. >> that's wild. okay. that's going to do it for your morning dish of scrambled politics. >>> the fedex kufl and the best and cheapest travel days of the years coming up. >>> plus, new details surrounding the death of one of the nurses where kate stayed in the hospital. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind aut

hill are describing the talks to avoid the fiscal cliff. president obama and john boehner did speak on the issue today, but the results of that conversation not public. the white house has now asked federal agencies to plan for more than $100 billion in cuts. that's what happens if the issue is not resolved by december 31st. >> we've got to cut spending and i believe it's appropriate to put revenues on the table. >> let's allow higher rates to go up for the top 2%. that includes all of you, yes? >> president obama speaking to business leaders when he made that comment today at the white house. insists he will veto any bill that does not include tax increases on wealthier americans. >>> coming up an online shopping horror story, a maryland woman's story may convince you to read the fine print. >> last night we were around 60 degrees most places at this hour. tonight we're some 20 degrees colder than that. i'll let you know how low it gets overnight and if we'll see more warm air on the horizon, but get ready for a chilly overnight. the rest of the forecast is coming up on the news ed

cliff. >>> shoppers that dive for cover as a gunman opens for cover in an oregon mall. we're going to give you the latest details, including the newly released identity of the man. >>> internet pioneer john mcafee is on his way back to the united states. kate bolduan is monitoring that story and others. >> guatemala officials escorted him to the airport and he boarded the plane to miami after a deportation order from guatemala. he is wanted for questioning in belize over the death of a neighbor. we've been following his story pretty closely. mcafee was held in guatemala for a week. he made his fortune from the anti-virus software that bears his name. >>> also, jacob tyler roberts was the lone gunman in the shooting at the clackamas town center mall. they say roberts was armed with a semiautomatic rifle. take a listen. >> it appears that the suspect's rifle did jam while he was attacking people in the food court. however, he was able to get it working again. clackam clackamas town center had a lockdown procedure and they did a great job. >> roberts shot two people fatally before killing himself. we'll have much more in the next hour. >>> also, honda is recalling 800,000 minivans and suvs that's

. >>> they are asking auto workers to avoid the fiscal cliff. the president will chair, after rallying for his support plan. they are raising taxes to help reduce the federal deficit. president barack obama met privately with house speaker john boehner over the weekend. it was the first meeting on the fiscal cliff crisis and the new point of views some are now expenses. runders -- renters may be dealt with by san francisco landlords. they would have to find out if it is option until. if passed it will move tonight full board.$♪. >> legislative leaders are holding a vigil to protect funding for a job center in west oakland. they say jobs and unemployment is key to is keeping few vince town because of an opposition to put up and they are expected to track that is -- thousands of dollars. >>> they could decide to cut the amount of medical marijuana a patient can have. supervisors will consider a proposal to scrap guidelines to allow medical marijuana to have more than 30 plants. the new proposal will allow to the state limit of 6 mature plant and eight. >>> they are holding one more community meeting in their search for a new pell chief. police chief chris march is at the south side center on coddle road. >>> you can expect peer clay

morning asking the white house for a response to the g.o.p. fiscal cliff counteroffer. he says that republicans can't negotiate with themselves however the president has been very clear very publicly that the g.o.p. plan is definitely a no-go as is. crossroads gps part of the karl rove funded group of campaign super pacs is spending half a million dollars on a new ad campaign to push for a fiscal cliff deal that includes more spending cuts and fewer higher taxes. >> so far he says more taxes. >> the truth is the white house deal did propose some $600 billion in healthcare and spending cuts. finally, secretary of state ken says he will investigate the state's voting problems. the republican in florida told the state ethics and elections committee he will dispatch a special team to investigate the five florida counties that had especially-long lines. right after it he defended florida's voting mess saying he had no regrets. wewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewe on to me now? you know the the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those type. those ty

. >>> welcome back. between the federal reserve and the fiscal cliff it's a mess if you're trying to position yourself with 2013 with so much influence by ben bernanke. what happens between the president and john boehner in an hour >> narrator: what are the pros expecting in 2013? dan greenhouse is with me and also the chief economist with ihs global insight joins me. good to have you on the program, gentlemen. thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> thanks, maria. >> dap, you think the fed captain really do much on the fiscal cliff? do you think the fed should have done without -- should have done what it did yesterday in terms of basically create more -- more stimulus? >> well, no, i don't think they should have done what they did yesterday, but that's a separate issue from the fiscal cliff, i think, and, you know, ben bernanke has been quite clear and quite frankly economists in general are quite clear about arguing there's very little the federal reserve can do to even partially offset the worst effects of the cliff should it actually happen. >> let me ask you your take on 2013. we know if we go over the cliff there are expectations that we'll see a recession, at least in the first half. w

days to the fiscal cliff. the president is john boehner are facing off for what couldçe a down to the wire nail-biter of a fiscal fight. indeed, the stakes are so high, the pressure so intense, that the house is calling it quits for the week. giving themselves another much deserved break. of course, not before demanding action from the president. >> where are the specifics? where are the discussions? nothing is going on, so we asked the president, sit down with us. >> i'll be here, i'll be available at any moment to sit down with the president to get serious about solving this problem. >> of course the speaker had to clarify that since the house is not back in session till tuesday. leaving just three days on the legislative calendar to get a deal. don't work too hard, guys. the president began his day meeting with business leaders a suring them he passionately roots for their success. even as he broke the news face to face that their taxes are going up. >>. >> let's allow higher rates to go up for the top 2%, that includes all of you, yes. but not in in way that will affect your s

storm will bring rain to new england tomorrow. >>> we have more on the fiscal cliff talks. president obama and john boehner met face-to-face at the white house to try to prevent the fiscal cliff. now just 23 days away. >>> the wording here is identical, ending with this, the lines of communication remain open. the two men last spoke by phone on wednesday and on friday mr. boehner said the white house had wasted another week for potential compromise. we don't know what prompted this meeting just that for the first time in a while the two sides are agreeing on something even if it's just the wording of their statements and keeping tight-lipped about what was said. don? >> thank you very much. >>> in today's meetings between president obama and speaker boehner, is it a sign that we are close to a fiscal cliff deal? i asked the senior cnn analyst, david gergen. >> this week is a crucial week to see if they can get a break through. in fact, they are willing to sit down and they did it in private, and instead of the political theater we have seen in the last few weeks i think that's encouraging. there's even a b

be a new round of negotiations to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. president obama and house speaker john boehner spoke by phone for the first time in days. no details on that conversation. the two sides are at a state mail over raising attacks on incomes over $250,000. an international news alert. there are fears that the syrian government is getting ready to drop a nerve gas on his own people. the gas is being mixed in bombs for potential use. as ainsley earhart reports, the united states is promising consequences for the gas is excused against the syrian people. >> reporter: it appears there has been an alarming escalation in the syrian civil war, the country's government preparing nerve gas bombs and awaiting the orders from president assad to use them. u.s. officials relying on surveillance said there was no evidence that this had begun. >> we have sent an up mistakeable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account. >> reporter: a senior u.s. official telling fox the gas bombs must be used within 60 days in order to be viable inform deployed. the ga